Vikigaiden! Suikogaiden: The Rune of Time
by Ucchan1
Summary: A look at some key events in the Suikoworld from Viki's point of view. She has a big responsibility to look after all those Tenkai stars. Things go wrong when she accidentally brings the True Rune of Time into the world and the other True Runes respond.
1. Prologue

Vikigaiden! (aka: Suikogaiden: The Rune of Time)

Summary: A look at some key events in the Suikoden world from Viki's point of view. She has a big responsibility to look after all those Tenkai stars. Things go wrong when she accidentally brings the True Rune of Time into the world and the other True Runes respond. Her superiors will not be happy about this.

Prologue

The day began as most days do: someone sneezed, materialized, and landed on my stomach. The sudden shock woke me up and I gazed sleepily at the offender.

"Oh no! I'm terribly sorry, I always mess up my landings!" the girl apologized quickly, bowing repeatedly and dropping her wand on the white stone floor with a noisy clatter.

I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and smiled, "It's no problem Viki, this happens to us all the time."

She smiled with relief.

I smiled back and added, a little cranky, "Although, it would be nice if you got off my tummy..."

A few of the other girls giggled at the predicament that they'd seen multiple times before as the older girl scrambled off and picked up her wand gingerly, apologizing all the way.

The abrupt awakening made me feel a bit disoriented, but looking around, it seemed like business as usual. It was good to take in your surroundings when you wake up - after all, you never know when you might find yourself in the wrong time period or continent. The older Vikis wandered around the Blinking Realm. Some were chatting with each other; some practicing magic; others engaged in board games or comic books.

I smiled inwardly, even though I was one of the more senior Vikis, I still enjoyed those silly comic books. One of the older me's was giggling as she paced up and down a nearby staircase, absorbed in one of the books.

I sighed. The older me's were still pretty affected by the memory loss of the time warping and I wondered if the giggling Viki even realized that she kept pacing up the same set of stairs. Geometry in the Blinking Realm was warped in such a fashion that turning the wrong direction could cause one to begin walking up walls or going backwards along looping staircases. It gave the rooms the beautiful effect of resembling an abstract painting, but it certainly didn't help the already addle-brained me's...

I reached over to the nearest counter to grab a comic book from the disorganized stack - it had been a while since the last time I read one - but ultimately decided against it. I spied my Blinking Mirror between the stack and the floating luminous lamp-crystal and picked it up instead.

My next assignment was coming up, so it would be best if I reviewed some of my memories instead. As one of the younger Vikis, it was my duty to be knowledgeable about our past for the sake of the older Vikis.

I stared into the Blinking Mirror, my too-familiar face staring back. The same long black hair as all the other girls in this realm. The same clear blue eyes. The features were softer and rounder, though. I decided I must be about 14. Certainly not the youngest Viki, but younger than most of the girls here. The youngest Viki that anyone could ever remember seeing was about 6 years old, but there were rumors that even -she- took orders from an infant-aged Viki that was the wisest of us all. I giggled at the thought and concentrated on making the Blinking Mirror show a reflection of a certain time period from my past.

I decided to remember the Prince of Falena. I had always felt particularly at ease with him. I watched the scene of the two of us unfolding on the reflective glass.

He had decided to travel the world instead of staying in Falena. He was stricken with grief after inheriting the Twilight Rune upon his best friend's death. I had gone to see him before the celebratory party at the end of the Sun Rune War. He told me he would go with Georg Prime, bearing the curse of the Sun Rune's children by himself.

But I told him he would return to Falena. The Prince seemed shocked when I told him so bluntly.

The me in the mirror shook her head, "Nope, you'll definitely come back to Falena. They need you here, you know. The Sun Rune's children are needed to keep the parent rune safe."

He nodded slowly, still intent on leaving, but he seemed to understand that it didn't need to be forever.

It was a good memory; the first time I clearly remembered -helping- someone with more than just my magic. I giggled again. I really felt like a super-hero from one of my comics when I could give speeches.

I began to focus on recalling another memory. And then, the Blinking Mirror blinked.

I found myself in another white room filled with floating lamp-crystals and a single stairway leading into it. In the center of the room was a steep pedestal encased by a flickering magic barrier. A few of the more senior (they hated being called 'younger') Vikis stood in front of the pedestal and greeted me. I was in the Room of the Time Rune. Floating just above the pedestal and surrounded by several barrier runes was the True Rune of Time - my Rune, or perhaps 'our' Rune.

The Time Rune seemed to be a benevolent True Rune, although it took its toll on its bearer. Our memories were difficult to hold onto and my body seemed to age in reverse - a far less useful ability than the immortality granted by other True Runes. It also seemed to want me to be involved with the Stars of Destiny. And to that end, it sent me through time to whenever I was needed. There always seemed to be a problem about sending me -back- to where I started, though. As this process continued, more and more Vikis returned to this Realm outside of time and the place became rather crowded.

Well, it didn't bother me that much - it was nice that the sterile white Realm was lively now.

The most senior Viki approached me, "We have discerned the timing of another True Rune's awakening, but its power is causing more interference than usual with our surveillance methods. Without much information, we feel we should send one of the more experienced Vikis to this incidence. I trust you can handle it?"

I nodded, smiling. I liked going on assignment, there was always so much good food. I pressed my finger to my chin as something occurred to me, "Well, I want to go, but what Rune are we looking for this time?" I asked.

"That's what is troubling about this mission. We're not sure," she explained, "I suspect it's the Rune of Punishment based on the timing and location, but it contradicts with our history reports."

Another one of the seniors chimed in, her voice slightly squeaky. It sounded cute. "This is why we think you should go, you have more experience and energy than most of the other Vikis available. I hope you can be resourceful enough for it!"

I blushed, slightly flattered that the seniors thought so highly of me, "Well, it feels a little funny to be praised by myself, but I certainly will try my best!"

This seemed to be enough for the Vikis and they nodded their agreement. I stepped up to the Time Rune as I had done innumerous times before and focused on channeling my Blinking Rune's power through it. The senior Vikis took a formation surrounding me and added their power into calibrating the destination.

The Kingdom of Gaien, decades after the conflict in the Island Nations, decades before the civil war in the Queendom of Falena...

Focus on the True Rune's power...

And then, of course, one of me sneezed.


	2. Chapter 1

Vikigaiden

Chapter 1

I blinked into existence under a clear sky and a balmy wind. Well, at least the weather was nice.

I landed hard on my rear end on some less-than-comfortable rocks, but all in all, it appeared to be a successful teleportation. I rubbed my nose and surveyed my surroundings. It was a rocky beach, with several large slabs of stone that jutted out at odd angles. The area nearest to the water was comprised mostly of smaller greyish rocks and not a single grain of sand was in sight. The waves appeared deep, but inviting, and I had no doubt that I had arrived somewhere on the famous rocky shores of the Gaien Kingdom.

A few gulls cawed as they scuttled over the stones in their search for food. One of them landed right near the Time Rune.

"Oh my," I said to the Rune, "you're not supposed to be here. You have to stay in the Blinking Realm!"

Of course, the Time Rune didn't respond, but it continued to hum with quiet power inside its orb. I imagined that the senior Vikis would be very distressed indeed. "I guess my teleportation wasn't perfect, after all. How upsetting. I really must get passed this sneezing problem."

"Viki?" A man's voice came from behind me.

Startled, I grabbed the Time Rune's orb and jumped off the rock to turn and face the voice.

A puzzled youth peered at me. His clothes looked rather haggard and I was concerned he might be a brigand at first. However, his features seemed familiar and he clearly knew who I was.

I racked my memories quickly, hoping something would click. Oh, I was always bad with names! I took a guess, "Mr. Island Pirate King?"

The boy laughed, his puzzled features softening, "I suppose you could call me that." Mr. Island Pirate King rubbed his chin, looking a bit suspicious again, "But, what are you doing -here-?"

"Well, I was at a party..." I began.

He started laughing again, "I guess that happens to you pretty often."

I frowned, slightly indignant to have my normal excuse laughed at, "Well, anyway, I somehow ended up here. Don't you need my help with anything? I don't like working by myself, you know."

He shook his head, "I'm afraid you're a bit early. There's not much of interest to report at the moment."

Then what was I doing here? Did the Time Rune make a mistake?

But I asked, "Then what are you doing here?"

He looked down suddenly, a little sheepish, "You mean, in Gaien?" He asked before continuing, "Well, I recently heard about some strange rune-related activity in this area. A sudden surge of Listening Rune orbs have been washing up on the shores here and I wanted to investigate it while I was in this country."

It seemed like there was more. "Oh, really?" I pressed.

He avoided my gaze again and continued, "And, well, it's an ideal place to avoid anyone I know. With this cursed rune, I have to be careful. In Gaien, no one really knows what the 'Hero of Obel' actually looks like. All they know is that he's a boy with a dark rune on his hand and a red bandana."

I looked at him more carefully. He wore a pair of heavy gloves, and under his light-brown hair, I could clearly see a white bandana. I giggled, "That's a pretty good disguise you have there."

He laughed again, the action seemed foreign to him, "Yeah, I guess I never was very creative with this sort of thing. But after all this time, there's hardly anyone left who would recognize me anyway." The laughter in his voice died and he peered at me again, "So how is it that you haven't changed either?"

I shrugged and shook my head, "That's just how I am. I don't really understand it myself." Well, this was partly true, at least.

His youthful features didn't change, "There's something about this that bothers me, Viki." It was unusual for anyone to question me further on the issue, but it was also pretty unusual for me to meet with people I knew decades ago.

"It is rather bothersome," I added helpfully.

"A few minutes ago, I was just examining this area and the Listening Runes, when suddenly I felt this wave of energy," he pulled off his left glove, "And my hand started burning. Moments later, I follow the direction of the energy and I find you."

I stared at his hand, memories flooding back to me more clearly now. He was the one who bore the True Rune of Punishment. A great destructive rune that drew its bearer into terrible conflicts and stole their life-force if they unleashed its power, only to leech onto the nearest victim upon their death. It was a cursed rune that this man had survived with for decades now because the power of the 108 Stars of Destiny had coaxed the Rune into its passive forgiveness phase.

No wonder he seemed so depressed.

His accusation hung in the air between us. He spoke again, "So what is that you're holding?"

Oh dear, it seemed I was caught. The Time Rune was never supposed to leave the Blinking Realm, and I was pretty sure that I wasn't supposed to tell anyone about it, either.

"Well?"

"It appears to be a Rune, doesn't it?" I told him, carefully examining it as if for the first time, "It's probably quite powerful, too."

For a minute, it seemed as if he would accept that. He asked, "Does that Rune have anything to do with what I'm investigating? Viki, if you want to help, you should tell me what you know about it."

And that just made me feel really guilty about not being able to tell him.

"Now now, you should never force a lady to reveal her secrets, my friend," a seductive voice called out, grabbing our attention.

"Lady Jeane!" I smiled, delighted to see the Rune Mistress. She was as extravagant and unearthly beautiful as always. Her long silken hair was tied up with ornate jewelry and bounced as she strode with a confident grace over the rocky beach toward us. Everytime I saw her, though, it seemed like she managed to wear less and less clothing. Her current gauzy robes left only the barest ideas to the imagination and her glittering bangles called attention to ample chest. I felt a slight twinge of jealousy and yearned for my older days when my own chest was at least comparable. With the body of a 14-year-old... Well, the curse of the Time Rune was cruel indeed.

"And what are YOU doing here?" The boy asked darkly, quickly pulling on his glove again. Jeane and I had both been present during the Island Nations Conflict when he received the Rune of Punishment decades ago. We had all worked as a team then, but it was clear that he didn't have the same trust for us at the moment. He seemed particularly venomous towards Jeane, "Is there a convention of people who haven't aged for 60 years going on today?"

Jeane smiled wryly, "There might be if this takes too long."

Baffled, the boy fell silent. I spoke instead, "So then, what are you doing here, Lady Jeane?"

She turned her attention to me, or more specifically, to the Time Rune, "Come now, Viki, you should know that we can't have THAT here," she said, purposefully avoiding using the Rune's name, "It will upset the balance quite quickly. You're lucky I was so close by in the Queendom. If we hurry, we may be able to avoid upsetting any other True Runes."

I gulped, trying to remember what I knew about the Time Rune. Apparently bringing it into this world was causing a problem with the other True Runes. Oh dear, the seniors were not going to be happy.

"Wait wait, there's a True Rune involved in all this?" The Rune of Punishment's bearer seemed agitated. "Tell me what's going on, Rune Witch. I've been dealing with this cursed rune for decades, you could -at least- tell me when something big is up."

Jeane turned on him quickly, a too-sweet smile on her lips that didn't touch her eyes, "There are many things in this world that you are better off not knowing, little boy. Isn't it your goal to stay out of these events to keep your True Rune's curse from harming anyone else?"

Scolded, he averted his gaze momentarily, "If something's going on, here and now, I need to know about it."

Jeane sighed, "Oh, very well, then. If you're going to act like such a whipped puppy over it..." she touched his arm gently, her voice softening again, "There is a True Rune just off the shore of this country: the Echo Rune. It's sealed in the ocean and it's the reason that these child runes have been washing up on this beach in droves. However, it just woke up, and it's not happy about being sealed for so long. And if you intend to keep your own True Rune safe, I suggest you get as far away from this conflict as possible, though I doubt it will stop you."

He blinked, seemingly shocked, "H-how do I even know you're telling me the truth?"

She ruffled his hair playfully, her voice sweet, "Oh come now, have I ever lied to you, little boy?"

"Perhaps not, but you've also never told me the truth," he shook his head, "It's always secrets with you. What's so special about this time?"

Jeane patted his shoulder, "Think of it as a gift. Our relationship is finally growing a bit closer."

He pulled back from the touch, still suspicious, "You know your little Charm Rune won't work on True Rune bearers."

She smiled, "I wouldn't dream of even trying, Lazlo."

"Excuse me, Lady Jeane?" I interjected.

"Oh yes," she said, turning back to me, "We must hurry and get you out of here before you start another war, Viki... I think I can help send you back, but please, you absolutely mustn't sneeze!"

I always hated it when people told me that, it made my nose itchy.

Jeane took a deep breath, holding her arms out in front of her. In an instant, I could feel a sudden burst of magical energy surrounding me.

More than enough to get me back to the Blinking Realm. I just had to focus...

And not sneeze. Please don't sneeze.


	3. Chapter 2

Vikigaiden

Chapter 2

I sneezed again.

Of course. I really wished Jeane wouldn't say things like that. My nose always became itchy when I was nervous. I really needed to set a better example for the junior Vikis.

Suddenly, I heard an explosion nearby. I remembered that I needed to figure out when and where I had materialized. This wasn't the Blinking Realm, obviously.

The area was mountainous, with more bare rock than vegetation. The peaks of the mountains weren't particularly high, but they obscured my view of the explosions. That was certainly something to be nervous about...

I looked down at the Time Rune orb, slightly warm in my hands. If what Jeane had said was true, it wouldn't be long before the other True Runes or their bearers knew where I was. I briefly wondered what I could do to hide the Time Rune's presence from them, but I wasn't even sure why the Time Rune caused the others to react in the first place.

Absently, I threw a barrier spell around the True Rune and hoped it would help. Ignoring the tingles in my nose, I decided to head towards the explosions for some information. Where there's explosions, there has to be humans, right?

Well, unless you live near a volcano. How worrisome, I hope I'm not near a volcano.

Cresting the nearest hill, I discovered the explosions weren't as close as they had seemed. Oh dear, that meant the explosions were exceptionally loud.

Peering as far into the distance as I could, it was clear that a battle was taking place. One army in blue vastly outnumbered the other in black, but they seemed to be holding their ground in the valley. The larger army was stalled at the impasse and it was there that I could clearly make out the source of the explosions. At first glance, it appeared to be magic, but the rate of attack was far too fast for even the most skilled of runemasters. It had to be some kind of firearm, like Fire Spears or Clive's rifles. But unusual weaponry wasn't my specialty. The occasional flash of Lightning magic or the rumble of Earth spells cascaded up to me from the battle, but it was almost entirely drowned out by the vast number of soldiers wielding the strange exploding weapons.

I caught a blur of blue rapidly approaching from the foot of the mountain. Before I could make out what it was, a surge of magic ripped through me from the Time Rune, knocking me backwards.

As the stars swam through my vision, I found myself staring into the demonic face of the Black Knight Yuber, his strange weapon aimed at where my head had been moments ago.

No, not Yuber, the man's face was identical, but his hair was dark and he wore a blue uniform that I didn't recognize. "S-sir Pesmerga," his name slipped out, my heart still racing.

He didn't move, his arms frozen in place, even his hair and breath seemed still. I could still feel magic emanating from the Time Rune. It had saved me reflexively. I felt a little giddy. I had the advantage here!

I stood up, the Time Rune cradled in my arms and tried to focus on restraining its power. The air around Pesmerga moved again and the man lowered his arm with the speed of molasses.

"What have you done, Blinking Rune witch?" His voice was deep and measured. I wasn't sure if it was the effect of the Time Rune or his natural voice.

The thought made me smile inappropriately.

"Do you think upsetting the balance is funny?!" Anger tinged the edge of his voice and I didn't feel like smiling anymore.

I tried to explain, "I'm sorry, I know the Time Rune isn't supposed to be in this world, but I can't seem to get back... I don't even know why it's upsetting the other True Runes!" The helplessness in my voice was apparent even to me.

Pesmerga sensed it instantly, "You damned idiot! You've thrown the world into chaos due to some screw-up?" He practically growled, "My Rune is telling me to end your existence right now before this gets worse. I'm inclined to agree with it."

"Oh my, please don't do that. I'd hate to have to freeze you again," I held the Time Rune a little closer and hoped that I was actually skilled enough to make good on my threat.

The dark-haired man glared at me, "This conflict you've arrived in will only escalate now. That black shadow... Yuber... he's here. He will certainly feel your presence and come to destroy the Rune. The other True Runes locked away inside of Crystal Valley are already stirring."

Crystal Valley? I was in Harmonia. This had to be the worst place to bring a True Rune alarm clock.

"I'm afraid to tell you that he's right." Jeane. She appeared more quickly than I would have expected.

I spun to face her. Her hair was shorter and her clothing less diaphanous, but she was still as agelessly beautiful and provocatively dressed. "Lady Jeane! Please tell me what's going on."

She smiled gently, then sighed, "You know, you really must stop bringing that into our world. It really upsets the Runes. Right now, I can feel the Sovereign Rune and the Echo Rune already breaking their seals. Hikusaak and Yuber are undoubtedly aware of you by now, too."

She looked over at Pesmerga, "Do put that away," she shook her head as the knight lowered his firearm, glaring at her. "I really do not care for this new 'artillery craze' that's been sweeping the modern world lately. I hope it's a passing phase."

I decided to try to keep a closer eye on Pesmerga. Jeane's arrival surprised me, but if the knight decided to follow his True Rune's instructions, I wasn't sure the Time Rune would protect me again.

Jeane continued, "While he's here, I doubt Yuber will deign to make an appearance. The two of them still don't get along well." The corners of her lips curled into a playful smile for Pesmerga's benefit.

Pesmerga growled, his eyes narrowing, "If that demonic stain shows his face, I'll have his head and his hand long before you'll need to worry about him." He looked directly at me, "Just get that thing out of here. Now."

He turned away from me, scanning the distance for his eternal prey. Apparently, I wasn't worth his time anymore. Just as well, really.

Jeane nodded, putting a reassuring hand on my shoulder, "I have to agree, I can help you get out of here..." she paused, somewhat amused, "...again."

I shook off her hand, a little annoyed now, "But what's going on? The Time Rune has always shown me when and where I'm needed. If it brought me here, then I'm supposed to be a part of this war! I'm one of the Stars of Destiny! What will the Tenkai Star of this time be able to do without the power of the 108 Stars?"

Jeane looked taken aback at my outburst, and began to explain, but it was Pesmerga whose voice grumbled at me, "You idiot. Can't you tell what's going on? You're in the middle of Harmonia's biggest civil war. These rifles? They're from the Howling Voice Guild. The Guild has decided to depose the Temple. There's never been a conflict like this in the history of the world."

I thought my mouth must be hanging open.

He continued, "Hikusaak has returned."

Jeane smiled wryly, "It just keeps getting better and better, right?" She placed her hand on the Time Rune gingerly, "I understand what you're saying about your necessary place on the Tablet of Destiny, but I fear that the protection it grants the Tenkai star may not outweigh the damage that this Rune is capable of."

I nodded slowly, but made one final protest, "It's just... I'm not quite sure I understand it all. I was always told that the True Runes were equal. Shouldn't the Time Rune be necessary to maintain the balance of the 27 Runes?"

Jeane shook her head slowly, "Viki, the True Rune of Time still exists in this world. What you've done is use time-travel to double the number of Time Runes in existence."

Pesmerga's eyes widened, equally surprised by the revelation, "So that's the score, is it?" He peered at me dangerously, "With power like that, she could destroy a True Rune... Maybe I should kill her after all? A screw-up can't be trusted with something like this."

Jeane smiled seductively at him, "Be a good boy and stick to guard duty. Thinking isn't your strong point, good sir. If you kill this one, the effect on the timeline will certainly upset your precious balance far more."

I blushed slightly, "Alright. If you could, Lady Jeane, please send me back?" I would have to come back to this era without the Time Rune. I couldn't abandon a Tenkai star who needed me.

"Excellent, Viki dear!" Jeane purred with approval, "This should cut down on our problems immensely!"

I nodded, holding the Time Rune out in front of me, sobered by what I had learned. My body was feeling extremely tired from using the Rune so many times, but I felt Jeane feeding energy into the spell.

"Don't fuck up this time, Blink-witch." Pesmerga's gentle encouragement.

I concentrated on the Time Rune, the Blinking Realm, weaving the power together. I was being supported by Jeane's magic... and Pesmerga's? Heh, maybe he wasn't so bad after all.

If only I wasn't so... so... tired...

I heard the explosion and only saw a flash of his face before the white light of the Teleportation removed me from this plane of reality. Yuber.


	4. Chapter 3

My landing was explosive. Blinking magic isn't supposed to be that strong, but powered by Jeane and the others… or maybe because of Yuber's interference…

At any rate, one must always take in one's surroundings when landing from a botched blinking spell. At the moment, the only thing I could see was a crater filling up the edges of my vision, and the clear blue sky of the everyday world, not the Blinking Realm I'd hoped for. I wondered how long I had been there before waking up. I was covered in dirt and soot, but there wasn't much smoke in the air anymore. I had to have been there long enough for it clear.

The Time Rune! I scrabbled around for it, remembering that it wasn't supposed to still be in this plane of reality. Where was it? Had it fallen somewhere else? Gone back to the Blinking Realm without me? What if it was still-

"Hello? Is someone down there?" a boy's voice echoed down into the crater.

I froze, unsure of what to do. Come on, Viki, think! The Time Rune might be down here, so there's no way I can let anyone find it. Just get some information out of this kid the usual way and lead him away from the crater.

"Um… yes. Oh my, I seem to have fallen into this rather large hole. I didn't even see it!" I called up to him.

The crater wasn't very deep, but the edge of it was still a bit over my head from the bottom. A puzzled-looking blonde boy peered over the rim, "What're you even doing out here?"

I smiled up at him, "Well, I'm exactly sure. See, I was on my way to a party when I suddenly sneezed and… where is here, exactly?"

"You're on the edge of the Magician's Forest, near the Aronian valleys. My family technically owns this property. I should probably make you pay for damages before helping you out of there," he had kind of a snotty voice that cracked a bit when he talked, but he seemed to be joking about the repayment part.

I wasn't quite sure where the Magician's Forest was, unfortunately. I'd probably been there at some point in my life, but the memories were hazy. I wanted to check my Blinking Mirror to refresh my thoughts, but the boy was already reaching his arm down to help me out of the crater.

"My, you're so very kind, I really had no idea how I would ever get out of there if you hadn't come along!" I reached up to take his hand and got a good look at his face. He had soft, attractive features and striking blue eyes. Familiar in a way, but just a bit too young.

When I took his hand, I felt the Blinking Mirror hum to life as a rush of memory swam before my gaze.

The face of Luc, the bearer of the True Wind Rune who tried to break the balance of the 27 Runes. His brother, Sasarai, the kind priest of Harmonia and bearer of the True Earth Rune. And this boy with the same face, but older, and cloaked in the most sacred robes of the Harmonian Empire.

"Hikusaak." I felt the word escape from my mouth and I recoiled in fear, losing my balance and dragging the boy down into the crater with me.

We tumbled for a moment and I landed hard on my back, memories still filling my vision. This wasn't the first time I'd met him. Well, it may have been the first time young Hikusaak met me, but my memories showed me an older Hikusaak, already burdened with the Circle Rune. A younger, less senior, me at his side, perhaps both in our early twenties physically.

The Tablet of the Stars was in his hands. In this memory, we were Stars of Destiny together. How long ago could this be? Before the founding of Harmonia itself? The oldest empire was at least 400 years old!

An image of his attractive face a little too close to mine, a rush of embarrassment coursed through me. We apparently weren't just comrades in this distant-yet-future memory.

"How do you know my name?" Hikusaak, a 14-year-old boy, sour look on his face, seemed to have recovered from our brief fall and he lazed on the dirt next to me, still grasping my wrist. I think he was checking my pulse.

This odd fact, that the future tyrannical leader of the most powerful empire in history was checking my pulse because I had spaced out, was just surreal enough to bring me back to my senses.

"I… um… Oh my, I can't seem to remember. I suppose you just look like a Hikusaak."

He gripped my wrist a little tighter, his handsome face growing suspicious.

I felt myself blush, remembering our future/past together, despite myself. I really must keep from altering time so much.

"Ah ha! I get it, you're another one of my fans, aren't you?" His expression became playful, "Points for effort, definitely. No one else has caused an explosion to get my attention before. You're certainly more creative than the other girls."

"I… what?" I didn't know how to take that. On the one hand, it was a convenient excuse for what I was doing here. But on the other, the smug look on his face made me want to protest it so much, my ears were turning red.

"Now now, don't deny it. You're cute, so I won't hold it against you, but lying is no way to start a first date."

"First date?! But…"

"Ssh… it's okay. I'll think of something to tell my family about the crater. Maybe some of the local kids were playing with a few too many fireworks?" He started climbing out of the crater and had reached down to help me up before I could respond.

I had taken his hand without realizing it, and that rush of memory flooded into me. Yes, it seems like he was always going to be like this. Going at his own pace, sweeping me up into something before I could protest. And judging from the flush in my cheeks, I apparently really liked it.

This was dangerous. I had to get out of here. I wasn't supposed to be here now. There was no chosen Tenkai star here. No True Rune. That was all to come later, during the founding war of the Harmonian Empire.

Right now was just a mistake, a glitch caused by Yuber.

Hikusaak smiled at me, pulling me up out of the crater. Okay, it's a really pleasant mistake, but still…

"Okay," I smiled back at him dreamily, "you go ahead back to your place. I have to clean up before I go on a date, right?"

He believed my lie, smiling his cocky, attractive smile, "Come by just after sundown. There's this cave near the edge of the valley that I want to show you. It's a little weird, but beautiful," his eyes twinkled, "Like you."

Oh, come on, that's just cheesy, don't blush at that, Viki! I turned away quickly, covering my cheeks, "See you then!"

I listened for him to walk away, but turned to face him again when I didn't hear footsteps. As I turned, I realized he had snuck up behind me, and planted a quick kiss right on my cheek. "Hey!" I protested, not sure what else to do.

He laughed, running off towards his home, "Don't be late! There's so many girls that would love to be in your position, you know!"

I smiled, wistful. I knew I couldn't go. I needed to find the Time Rune and get out quickly. I imagined the 14-year-old sitting outside his weird and beautiful cave, waiting for a date that wasn't coming, and felt a twinge of guilt.

Well, maybe standing him up will be good for him. He seems to have a bit of an ego anyway.

I sighed, brushing off my clothes uselessly. Time to climb back down into that hole to find my Rune.

I had only been searching about half an hour before I had scoured the whole crater with no luck. The Time Rune wasn't here, and I was starting to panic. I couldn't feel its presence nearby, though it seemed as if I could feel other True Runes. I wasn't sure which worried me more.

I pulled myself out of the crater and was greeted to a surprising sight.

"Lady Jeane!" I almost ran up and hugged her.

This time, she wore considerably more clothing than last, a dark green and black robe well-suited to moving through the forest. Her long silver hair was partly covered by soft fur of a hood, but she still managed to look beautiful and show off her ample bosom.

"Oh, Jeane, it's horrible, I can't my find Rune anywhere, and last I saw it, Pesmerga and Yuber were converging on it, about to battle and there was war everywhere like it was the End of Days or something!" I could tell I was babbling, but I was panicked and I didn't even know how I would get back to the Blinking Realm.

"Just what… What are you?" Jeane asked.

In all my time knowing her, never had I met (that I could remember) a Jeane that was confused by something. Could it be? Had I finally ended up far enough in the past that this was my first meeting with Jeane?

She grew impatient and aimed the head of her staff at me, "I can sense the power of a True Rune, but it's distant somehow. Are you some kind of a projection? A Child Rune perhaps? Maybe you bear the Moon Rune's curse? Answer me!" Her staff crackled with electricity.

"Eep!" I responded eloquently.

"And what's this about the End of Days? A Prophecy? I don't know of any True Runes with the gift of foresight around here."

"I… I'm Viki. I'm little lost, honestly," I gulped, here goes, "I was on my way to a party when I sneezed and I think my Blinking Rune messed up and sent me here…" I glanced at the crater, "With a bang."

Jeane glared at me, a little dumbfounded.

"Just… boom! Like that." I added helpfully.

"I think I'm just going to zap you now, just to be safe. Clearly you're cursed by the Rune of Idiocy."

"Is that really a True Rune, or are you just making fun of me?"

She exploded the tree next to me, "Answer me. I never usually have to ask something twice. I hate asking things twice."

"Oh, well, I suppose you wouldn't, what with that Charm Rune and all," I gambled that I could buy some time with this bit of information.

"How did you…?" she began.

"Let's trade. I've been dying to know what you are for ages! I'll tell you about my weird little story if you'll explain yourself."

Jeane scowled, waving her staff, "I'm the one holding the lightning rod here, I'm not sure I need this deal."

I Blinked, and prayed I ended up behind her like I planned, "And I think we're evenly matched!" I told her with as much bravado as I could muster.

I opened my eyes to find myself right in front of Jeane's staff, still very much in the range of fire. Not ideal, but very dramatic.

"So tell me, are you the bearer of the True Charm Rune or something?" I asked, a little too curious.

She laughed, putting her staff down. It was different from her usual seductive giggle. It was genuine amusement.

"Okay, okay," she gasped a few breaths from the extended laughter, "Deal."

I sighed, relaxing finally, "Good, because I need your help. I'm the bearer of the True Rune of Time. It's not a Rune that must be borne on the body, it merely curses me to age backwards as proof of its power. This isn't the first time I've met you, but I suppose this is the first time you've met me. More important than all of that, I've lost my Rune and I need you to magic me back to the Blinking Realm so I can get help finding it."

The corners of Jeane's lips curled up bemusedly, "Well, that is quite a story. I hope you know the spell that I can cast to send you back to this Blinking Realm?"

"Actually, I do, I learned this particular boosting spell from you," I hope that doesn't cause some kind of broken paradox.

"…and now I'm going to learn it from you?" Jeane smiled, "How delightfully confusing this Time Rune is."

I nodded, but then stopped her, "Wait, before we get started on all of that, you have to tell me who you are. People have searched your body for a True Rune, and I've tried to figure out if your True Rune was sealed apart from you, like mine, but without any luck. Just what are you?" I figured it was best not to mention my pet theory that she was secretly just a series of identical family members who each passed on the knowledge and wisdom of the previous Jeane.

Lady Jeane raised herself up slightly, smiling her mysterious smile, "I'll tell you this. It is not that I am the *bearer* of a True Rune, young one. In a sense, I *am* a True Rune."


End file.
